The year 2023 was a year full of surprises for Pakistan: from Imran Khan being arrested to a major blackout in the country, this year truly surprised us.
We have listed the top few significant events that ruled the national discourse this year:
1) Major power outage
A major power outage in Pakistan left nearly 220 million people without electricity after a failure at the national power grid.
The country suffered a nationwide power outage due to a technical fault that left large swaths of the country, including the capital Islamabad, without electricity.
2) ‘Pink eye’ outbreak
Nearly 400,000 people in Pakistan have been infected with viral conjunctivitis, also known as pink-eye this year.
3) Imran Khan’s controversial arrest
Imran Khan was arrested this year not once but twice for illegally selling state gifts.
4) May 9 mayhem
The May 9 riots or 9/5 riots were a series of violent incidents that took place on 9 May 2023, in Pakistan. Following the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s head, Imran Khan, from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court, demonstrations held by PTI’s supporters descended into violent riots.
5) Ban on Wikipedia
A ban was placed on Wikipedia for three days for alleged anti-Muslim and blasphemous content. It was lifted upon the orders of then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
7) Nawaz Sharif returns home
In another dramatic move, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan in October 2023 after a four-year self-imposed exile to lead his party in the general elections. He is the only Pakistani politician who became the prime minister of the coup-prone country for a record three times.
8) Terrorist incidents
Several terror and suicide bombing incidents rocked Pakistan this year. At least 271 militant attacks took place in Pakistan during the first half of 2023, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuring 656 individuals, news agency ANI reported.
9) Pakistan Assembly dissolved
In August 2023, Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly at outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice, marking an end to the government’s tenure and paving the way for the next general elections.
10) Afghans expelled from Pakistan
The government announced that it would arrest and deport hundreds of thousands of unregistered foreign nationals mostly Afghans.
The government ordered all illegal immigrants to leave the country by 1 November or face deportation. It cited the alleged involvement of Afghans in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, as part of the reason for the move.
